Oklahoma is passionate about college sports with four Division I programs in the state.
One of the most recognizable teams in college sports, the Sooners are a powerhouse on the gridiron and have won seven National Championships. They were a juggernaut in the late 2010s under coach Lincoln Riley, who coached three No. 1 draft picks (Baker Mayfield, Kyler and Caleb Williams) during his time there before moving on to USC.
Oklahoma’s basketball team has flourished lately as well. It produced a No. 1 draft pick in 2009 (Blake Griffin) and made six NCAA Tournament appearances in the 2010s. Some notable recent alumni include Buddy Hield and Trae Young, with Hield’s team making it all the way to the Final Four in 2016.
While the Cowboys have always lived in the shadow of the Sooners, they’re still a quality Power Five team.
In football, they have a claimed National Championship (1945), an unclaimed National Championship (2011) and one Heisman winner (Barry Sanders). They played in a bowl game in every year of the 2010s and have a signature rivalry with the Sooners known as the Bedlam Series.
The Cowboys are Big 12 royalty on the hardwood, advancing to more NCAA Championships and Final Fours than any team in the conference except Kansas. They won back-to-back national titles in 1945-46 and produced Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
- Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
A member of the Summit League, the Golden Eagles had their best season on the hardwood in 1974 when they advanced to the Elite Eight. They also put together a Cinderella run in 2021 when star guard Max Abmas led them to three-point victories over Ohio State and Florida en route to the Sweet Sixteen.
The pride of the American Conference, Tulsa has an undergraduate enrollment of just 3,740 – the smallest of all FBS schools. Their last conference championship came in 2012 when they were a member of Conference USA, but they have produced notable professional players like Glenn Dobbs and Steve Largent.
The Hurricanes have had some postseason glory on the hardwood, winning the NIT twice (1981, 2001) and the CBI once (2005). Their best NCAA Tournament finish came in 2000 when they made it to the Elite Eight.